Explore the great outdoors and go wild in New South Wales

Picturesque escape: get away from it all on Lord Howe IslandCredit:
Alamy

3 February 2017 • 9:30am

James Ottery

From the highest peaks to the edge of the ocean, there’s a world of wonders to explore in the great outdoors of New South Wales.

Although one of the smaller states in Australia, New South Wales, its borders contain an astonishingly diverse spread of different landscapes.

From the rampant wilderness of the Snowy Mountains and the surf-bashed beaches of the Legendary Pacific Coast to the lush wetlands of the Murray-Darling basin and the rugged topography of the Great Dividing Range, this is an outdoor destination of rare pedigree.

For lovers of nature and al fresco adventures, it’s heaven-sent. Sydney is well placed as a starting point for explorations.

Just 50 miles west of the city, the Unesco-listed Blue Mountains are a vision of plummeting valleys and mighty slopes.

Their escarpments are cloaked in temperate eucalypt forest, giving off the soft blue haze that lends the range its name as well as creating a spectacular setting for bushwalking, biking, climbing and 4WD tours.

For something more sedate, meanwhile, the mountains also have a railway, an elevated walkway, a funicular and a cable-car at Scenic World in Katoomba – all offering epic views.

Dramatic skyline: the Unesco-listed Blue MountainsCredit:
Getty

In the south of the state, the Snowy Mountains are another prime draw. Home to the tallest peak on mainland Australia – the 2,228m Mount Kosciuszko, a manageable day-climb for walkers of reasonable fitness – the range also boasts another nine mountains above 2,100 metres.

The resort town of Thredbo is a skiing and snowboarding hotspot between August and October, and for the rest of the year provides a superb base for hiking, climbing, caving and classic mountain and lake tourism.

Also in the south, Budderoo National Park is a verdant swathe of rainforest where a series of raised boardwalks make it easy to explore on foot – the park is particularly renowned for its wildflowers and waterfalls.

Elsewhere, and for those visitors who really want to get away from it all, the incredible Lord Howe Island is a hugely enticing option.

Located 370 miles off the coastline, the state’s furthest outpost is a world-class birdwatching destination, with more than 130 permanent and migratory species.

Sea cliffs, golden beaches and towering hills – the route to the summit of Mount Gower is renowned as one of the world’s best one-day hikes – provide a stunning backdrop, and the island sits less than two hours’ flight from Sydney.

Astoundingly, New South Wales has no fewer than 900 different national parks, forests and reserves to its name, so it’s fair to say you’re never far from somewhere special.

In the very north of the state, the beautiful Wollumbin National Park, near Byron Bay, is a case in point.

As the first place on mainland Australia to be struck by the sun’s rays each morning, it’s somewhere of sacred importance to the local Bundjalung people.

Much closer to Sydney, meanwhile, special mention also goes to the glorious Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, the second oldest national park in Australia and a great spot for bushwalking and fishing.

As an outdoor destination, New South Wales can genuinely claim to cater for all ages and fitness levels.

Its semi-official title is the First State – and thanks in part to the range of different landscapes and natural attractions on offer, it’s second to none.